Metallic glasses are a class of materials which tend to be strong, hard, elastic, and corrosion and wear resistant, to name a few properties. Their properties are derived from a disordered atomic structure. Most materials have a crystalline atomic structure, meaning the atoms are organized in a regular, periodic arrangement. However, the atoms in a metallic glass never have the chance to organize during cooling, forcing them to retain the same structure as a liquid. This structure gives metallic glasses the hardness of a tool steel with the ability to be formed like a plastic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the following pages, some processing techniques for metallic glasses will be discussed.